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Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Why I Will NOT Be Lighting It Up Blue For Autism Speaks...

According
to several sources, I've been told that April is "National Autism
Awareness Month". To be honest, I
had no clue that there was even a month devoted to this. I knew that October was "Breast Cancer
Awareness Month", and I believe that June is "National Pride
Month"...but this was something new to me.

And
I couldn't be happier that such a month exists. I'll explain why a little bit later.

I
only wish I had known that April 2 is the official day for "Autism
Awareness" - otherwise I would have done it a couple of days ago. But that being said, I think considering
that National Autism Awareness Month lasts until April 30, I still have time to
talk about it here.

Certainly,
I've seen lots of people posting little blurbs about Autism Awareness month. They are posting personal stories of what
their lives are like raising children who have autism, or people sharing
stories of what it feels like to be autistic, which is fantastic to see. Some of them post memes and status updates
to help raise awareness of autism, which is also cool to see.

Then
there's the temporary Facebook frame portraits that I see people using as
well. You know the ones I mean, don't
you? They allow you to download a frame
onto your Facebook profile picture for a few days, a month, or even permanently
if you so choose. Believe me, I've had
fun with this feature myself. I have so
far used a 2016 Rio Olympics frame, a Super Mario frame, and a Bones frame to
commemorate the finale of the show that aired on March 28.

But
one frame you won't see me use is the one that urges people to turn their
profile blue in the name of "Autism Speaks" - a charitable
organization that was founded twelve years ago by the grandparents of an
autistic child. You can recognize the
logo by the blue puzzle piece above the name.

And
the reason why I won't use this frame is because I don't particularly believe
in the values that "Autism Speaks" holds true.

I
realize that some might be looking at me with daggers in their eyes, but allow
me to explain my stance. If at the end
of this, you still support this organization, then feel free to do so. I won't stand in your way. But I do implore you to understand why I
feel this way.

I suppose it stems from this letter that was posted on the Autism Speaks
website by one of the co-founders. To
read it, click HERE. Go ahead
and read it. I can wait. I'm semi-patient.

Now,
I partially get what she is trying to say here to a degree. I can imagine that depending on where a
child falls on the autism spectrum, it can definitely be a challenge. However, almost all of my friends who have
autistic children wouldn't trade that experience for the world. They just want what is best for their child.

However,
my nods of approval come to a screeching halt when she only seems to focus on
the hardships of those who happen to be raising autistic children.

Not
once does she even show any sort of compassion for those who happen to be on
the spectrum in the first place.

It
almost seems that she is grouping everyone who has autism into the same
category, which is a complete mistake.
Sure, there are some extreme cases of autism where the child is in
constant need of assistance. But there
are also so many people who are high-functioning autistic people, who might have
a few quirks but are very capable of becoming proactive members of society.

And
honestly, I think in order to ensure that children with autism have a chance to
make a difference in the world, I think more needs to be done to help them
understand that they do have a purpose in this world and that they should NEVER
be seen as a burden to anybody.
Autistic people are human beings and they deserve to have the chance to
be loved, to be respected, to have the chance to work, to have the chance to do
all the things that everyone else in the world can do.

They
are not broken individuals. Rather they
absorb and process information differently from other people. They might not always understand social cues
that many of us take for granted, but they can also possess incredible
intelligence. They may possess super
sensitivity to loud noises and can somehow be emotionally sensitive to other
people. They might have a better time
communicating to a person using a computer or a pad of paper rather than
talking to someone face to face.

Believe
me. Most of the things I've described
in the previous paragraph fit me to a T.
And, to be honest with you, I feel as though I'm somewhere on the autism
spectrum. I've never been formally
tested - and let's face it - I couldn't afford to be tested even if I really
wanted to find the truth. But if I
could hazard a guess, I would say that I might have Asperger's Syndrome - ironically, it'd be within the blue section of the above graph. I guess I could say I'm a high-functioning
autistic person. At least I believe
that I could be.

But
here's the thing. I don't necessarily
see myself as being all that different from anybody else. I can't speak for anyone else who is
autistic, but I can say that I am a person who is trying to make sense of this
planet. I want to be able to walk down
the street and not have to worry about people pointing out my quirks. I want to be able to get through a shift at
work without people talking down to me as if I am seven years old. I want to be able to build strong
friendships without people looking at me as if I am a space alien.

Basically,
I want to be treated the same way that anybody else is treated. I don't want to be talked down to. I don't want to feel as if I am broken and
need to be fixed. I don't want to feel
as though I am sick or diseased. I
don't see it as such. I don't want
people thinking that it is contagious.
Trust me, it's not. I don't want
people telling me that you won't vaccinate your child because of the fear that
they will develop autism. Personally,
I'd rather have an autistic child that has a happy outlook on life than a child
who dies of smallpox at the age of four.

Yes,
autistic children have challenges that are difficult, but with proper guidance,
compassion, and acceptance, I believe that they can find success. The last thing that I want as someone who
suspects that he has a place somewhere on the spectrum is to be told that I am
a burden on someone else, and that I will need help for the rest of my life to
make it in this world. I don't want an
organization telling me that this is the case.

Therefore, I cannot support Autism Speaks.

However,
I can support the following groups and organizations which not only provide
support to families of autistic people, but helps the children realize their
full potential and treats them with the dignity and compassion that everybody
deserves.